The zoot suits, New York accents and tunes, “A Bushel and a Peck” and “Luck, Be a Lady,” will all be there in Tupelo Community Theatre’s production of “Guys and Dolls Jr.”
The show’s been shortened and some of the adult innuendo has been taken out for this youth production, but that doesn’t take away from the fun or the fan favorite parts of the musical.
“It’s a love story,” said director Liz Dawson. “There’s Nathan and Adelaide, who’ve been engaged for 14 years, but he’s a gambler. The police are always looking for him. And then there’s Sky Masterson, who falls in love with a mission girl, Sarah Brown.”
There’s plenty of fun and music along the way, including tunes like “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” and “Guys and Dolls.”
“Sit Down” is one of Stuart Rial’s favorite numbers. Rial, 19, of Tupelo, stars as Nathan Detroit.
“I like the end, when you get to see Nathan evolve a little bit. He puts forth the effort he’s been lacking,” Rial said.
The young actor said he sees a lot of himself in the famous character of Nathan Detroit.
“We both like to put things off until the last minute, but somehow it always falls into place at just the right time,” he said.
For 17-year-old Austyn Davis, getting into character as Adelaide means a big blonde Marilyn Monroe-like wig and a New York accent.
“She’s super spunky. She has lots of personality, and she makes you laugh,” Davis said. “I get to be so animated and just out there.”
Adelaide’s personality, along with the music and sweet love story, makes “Guys and Dolls Jr.” one of Davis’ favorite productions.
“This one’s my favorite,” she said. “She’s definitely my favorite character I’ve ever played.”
sheena.barnett@journalinc.com